New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-06-16
SHARP IN sHERIFFy HANDS.
THE GREAT TRIAL BEGUN IN EARNEST AT
LAST.
Mr.. NrcoLL STARTS ON HIS OPENING ADDRESS
OBTAINING THE LAST JURoR-THE DEFEND.
ANT ALLOWED TO SLEEP AT HOME


| ANT ALLOWED TO SLEEP AT HOME
UNDER GUARD
Just as he has looked every day for the last vc weeks
except perhaps that the lines about his mouth were
little tighter drawn Jacob Sharp sat In the Cour
Of Oyer aud Terminer yesterday with all his lawyers
about him. listening to the speech OF Delaney Niool
telling why 10 Jacob Sharp should be sent to tho Stat
Prison for ton years. fined $4,000 or BOTH for
crime committed against the people OF the State OF New
York. And in the jury box sat twelve mon, none o
them knowing Jacob Sharp, none OF them caring fol
him. but whom ths people had put there to decide for
him the most momcnous question OF his life-whether
he should be Judged guilty innocent Of the charges
which the young Assistant DistricAttorney was max
ing against him. The trial proper fhad begun, and 10
get thus far along in the 2l00 citizens had been
summoned and 1876 examined 10 ascertain their fitness
to decide the question OF jacob fharps guilt or inno-
cence And the net OF IL all those twelve
In the box The courtroom was not at all crowded. II
will be to-day but last night the had not got
abroad that sharps trial had begun. But there
person in the courtroom whose presence testified that
the law had frightened Its grip on Jacob Sharp He was
Under Sheriff Sexton who occupied chair Just behind
Sharp Night day either he or of his assistants
will have an eye Jacob Sharp until the trial termi-
mates.
Mr. Nicoll pegan his speech little after o'clock. His
tone was colloqual. He was addressing selected
because OF their intelligence and peculiar fitness to pass
upon the case He had need to resort to feats OF
rhetoric He addressed himself solely to the jury.
District-Attorney MARITIME occupied the witness chair
where he could command full view Of the jury and
Judge Of the effect upon them OF Mr. Nisos talk Among
sharps lawyers Mr.. stckney and Mr. Parsons and K
Judge Nelson took frequent notes Of points in MrNlcos
address, to be answered when their inning comes.
Ex-Judge Fullerton, the great cross-examiner, seemed
to take most OF his notes in his head With spectaces
pushed up his brow and air OF tho most profound
attention he caught everything that Mr.. NicoIl said
Dat do h-fuak m
ing in this trial. also took notes and frequently COM
munloated TO Sharp his views about Of Mr. Ncors
points
THE MOST IMPORTANT TRIAL SINCE TwRED's.
Mr. Nicol began with alusion 10 the enormous
amount Of trouble That had been experienced I'm getting
jury. The character OF many Of the men summoned for
jury service indicated the necessity of reform in
the jury system He regarded it the most important
trial that had taken place since william NJ Tweed sat I'm
that charged with stealing millions OF dollars
from the city treasury. He sad
In some respects his case IL Of nTc greater inheritance
c, @SSD + BE- Sat ss y Sl y e. ID
tho only crime which Is denounced In the Cousutu.
ton OF thus state The oGrrnpon revealed by the Tweed
spiraors At that who had been robbng the
Ss s OF , S Ia ~. 10 osS T ~S
WAL reveal not unfortunately local but -prei all
many decent have grown 70 tolerate II
sible stem that lido whether by any OF
! shall be allowed % growing deeper
stronger uut our insii utions are submerged by H.
Referring to the privileges which the law allows de-
PENDANTS IN these cases Mr. Nlco spoke o. the talented
lawyers whom Mr. sharp had been able 10 gather abon
him and cOmplimentcd each OF them personally aud 10y
He Anticipated OF the points that viii surely
be raised by the defence by reieenre Ia what the news
papers have said about this and similar tals saying:
No honest man in rs community woud for one single
telhgon press upon pnOo anai The pres. OF tais Sty
have always boen ON tue side Of honest government lf
were not 10, ihcse We night a. %s hand t.s o' over en-
sy bound ara SssT 70 snoc a. M f9@ "aS
personal fescnmenis 10 Indulge
Sir. Nicoll outlined the position OF the prosecution
thus:
There no private complainant in this case; there
the District oath prp-o-ue whom he De
eves 10 be innocent a. would DO 10 ia 10 pr seonIe man
ss,lpst tho defendant s1oep'-, the pIsullee That
but bound by oAths beet endeavrs 10
ne s n. brns bsoe on MON II for
as The Defendant is ne ordinary @an He /. NAH
who for ySa' aA, c a. 9s hands 1ens % s com
been conferred npon any citizen Ia. bad tho privilege Of
very T .rss TSah for out OF his sn s
over a million Of dollars Sow, w6iIs Ills crcum.
stance no Gs9a for w ssR1emniqg y.on. him
epresenis virtues but on The Other hand he is cel
because Of hrs wealth His wealth secures hn great advsn
This b-caus Of the talented and sku l4w
whom It enables him 10 employ for his defence.
EXPLAINING THE OFFENCE COMMITTED.
Mr. NcO then explained In detail TIE nature Of the
charge against sharp that OF bribery according to
ton u OF the Penal Code punishable with mprison
ment for than ten years. line OF not
than s. 600 both. sharp he said had violated the
statute by causing brlbe the promise OF bribe be
offered to Alderman Fulyraf his innu
cnce behalf Of his Broadway Surface Railway scheme
Tho Indictment charges that he did this in conjunction
with others, Foshsy. Kerr Richmond, keenan,, Mooney
and DeLacy. lie continued:
necessary for prosecution 10 show that this
PENDANT Alderman
will hear from The deiene, many snggsson. that sharp
cy Of New Yors direct and with the oicepton OF Alderman
W him. INV. this '% pSsaS Far %
m ina n he 5sy saw 1nSOS sp % sage JeSS
from the evidence that money actually given with
bride whereby his influenced OF public
ceives H. just as guilty as the man who actually receives
money.
Mr.. Nicon entered into argument to show that the
man who nstga'es a crimo Is morally aud before the
law as guilty the who commits the crime aud
that sharp himself did not actually bribe any one
caused the brbng 10 be done aud therefore guilty Mr.
Nicoll then told In detail Of the meeting OF the
Aldermen at Alderman McLoughn's house In June 1854
out Of IT, He gave in detail the familiar facts brought
In the other trials about the price paid for the Alder
men and how the Broadway franchise was granted Then
Now before proceed With the ether part q let
pose thai IN 1889 there was no one Of his ea.. more respected
Of psrer boYe. lie Lived I'm hs $780, u" me ,mo
rei Ward in ff ns house M" a%& YEA. p Ss
vas regarded b sTeyboay who knew him n, ana
straightforward and honorable man OF business But
ne assed 10 become Alderman
he fell n victim In thar office SUI rounded
him You viii hear from his H. the story. Full ran
will appear before the light OF informer The
OF an nforner proceeds from betrayal Of trust and conf
dcnce between himself aud his associates crime But
will show that while in his POssessUn OF the
OOO received for his vote he had
bank account He loaned IL 10 gentleman In this
Will tho stand aud before you Fngran
paid him money different denomln Alions In tho mon
February 1850 beng bills ho said he recovei for hts
for THIS franchise We Will that the crime
committed We propose 10 show that In the
1884 conspiracy effected the persons named in
this indictment namely. Sharp. FOshsy Kerr Hichond
Keenan, and Mooney to procure uroush bribery OF the
Board OF Aldermen IN the City OF tn
railroad IN Broaiwa Now. not 10 suppos.
moment that there was any combination for the purpose
brbnR Fuilgran aone-in other words the
not directcd against Fugran alone but tho
oe Boari Of Aldermen.
What conspiracy conspiracy may be proved in
OF two waysby direct evidence by orcumstantal
dence In thus there IL both direct